Usha Srinivasan

Usha Srinivasan came to the United States in 1990 from southern India for a graduate degree in electrical engineering. After working in Dallas, Texas, for a few years, Srinivasan got a green card and moved out to the Bay to attend Stanford Business School. She spent years as a product leader in the tech field, but as time went on, Srinivasan, now a mother, wanted to do something different. In 2013, she started Sangam Arts, an arts organization that brings together various ethnic art forms on an equal level so people can learn and grow through each other’s work. Sangam started with Indian dance, but over time, has implemented other cultural art forms. Along with her cofounder, Priya Das, Srinivasan has organized events and shows at local libraries and the San Jose Museum of Art, highlighting the diversity of ethnic art forms that are often practiced quietly. Sangam has won numerous awards and grants for its work—from the Knight Foundation, among others. Srinivasan and Das hope to further build events around the idea of a mosaic society, where diversity in ethnic art forms is highlighted and recognized in a meaningful way.

“In 2008, I started reconnecting with native forms of art from my home country. This included traditional Indian dancing, which I took up with my daughter. I started really getting immersed in the arts and culture scene, and I realized that just like myself, there are so many diverse communities in the Bay practicing rich and ancient art forms from their motherlands. So I figured, ‘Now that I’m in the US, how do I take what I brought with me and make it relevant to my new home, and in turn, learn about other people like me?’ Sangam actually means ‘coming together’ in Sanskrit, so I wanted to create a platform for people to share their native art forms. And what better place than the incredibly diverse and vibrant South Bay?”

Written by Tad Malone